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Im 50 next year and not really into having a party , have never really celebrated any birthday to be honest. That said I'd like a decent holiday if Covid ever f*cks off. Anyhoo first thoughts were a Thailand holiday , then thought of a whistler Mtb holiday . Narrowed it down to a trip with the lad to Sierra neveada in may hopefully then a family one in August to hopefully Jamaica.
Need advice on pretty much anything. I'd hate a sandals type holiday and would rather get an Air bnb and try and see some of the country with hopefully some reggae tours , clubs etc.
I need to find out Is it safe just to do our own thing . I was surprised to see how reasonable some of the property is compared to previous holidays .
Anyhoo as said any advice is welcome and appreciated.
I’ve never felt as intimidated as I did the couple of hours we spent on the loose in Ochos Rios. In resort and the tourist hot spots were fine but it’s not a place I would want to go off piste. YMMV.
Sandals holiday? If you give it another year you'll qualify for a Saga discount at the Reggae club in Embra & at your age you won't be able to tell the difference:o) Get some of Mike's herbs down ya and you'll have saved a fortune. Just call me if you need more helpful advice :o)
NEver been, but have a mate who goes every year.
Don't go off piste would be his advice also.
If you give it another year you’ll qualify for a Saga discount
Oooft.
Jamaica is not the best place to go off piste. Go to a quieter island, and rent a villa for a bit if you don’t want a resort. Get stuck into the supermarket and visit all the local attractions, chill out on the beach. Of course, I’d recommend Barbados and finding a place near Sandals area (East coast) to come home to.
i have a similar idea to you for 2022, and originally was thinking UK-NY-Bahamas.
Jamacains don’t walk around saying “ya dig” either, that kind of cultural misappropriation might get you in trouble over there.
My sister lived in the Caribbean for 10 years, married an Antiguan, and her advice when we were looking at Jamaica was 'Don't'
Acc to her, lots of the island is safe but other parts aren't and the potential to accidentally stray from one to the other is high. All the islands have some poverty and crime, but Jamaica's different league. You can only really stay in resorts behind fences with guards and you might as well be anywhere else.
Antigua was great for us, Barbados, or a smaller island - I fancy St Lucia but not entirely sure why.
Also be aware June-November is hurricane season, you can't predict it but there is a heightened chance of being disrupted by weather. There'll be tonnes of good weather too, in between the monsoon like rains in the afternoon!!
We have people posted to Jamaica at work, it’s not regarded as a plum post - living in gated compounds, armed guards generally a bit rough and dangerous. There’s a recent guardian article about the high level of returning ex-pats who get to robbed and murdered.
Stealth ad my brother has a couple of holiday houses on a beach in north east Brazil if you want something unusual by uk standards. http://praiadopatacho.com/?fbclid=IwAR0iUr3wvqgEmTd6kiJwx3QkY7EuqQzpB1-fJutgTSz5ai_c5XoyM7EQL-Y
Sounds pretty serious , thanks for the replies. Ill maybe just head down the coast to Berwick and go to Haggerston castle , doesnae have the weather but sounds safer. 😉
Will look into St lucia instead. Thanks folks.
Have to agree with the other posters - Visited Jamaica about 10 years back, its a proper 3rd world country once you're past the gated hotels and compounds.
Went out in Kingston, whilst it was what I wanted to experience, I'm not in a rush to go out there again.
Japan. Loads of cultural sights, stunning beaches, tropical weather down towards Okinawa and great MTB dotted all around the country including at Mt. Fuji.
I’d quite like to go to Japan also, that’s a great idea.
OP, if you like Jazz you’ll like St Lucia. It’s a little behind some of the other Islands in its development - Castres for example is much more a Caribbean market town than even a 1970s capital - and it’s a little bit wetter / greener. Find somewhere nice to stay and get into the jazz, and it’ll be very nice indeed.
The only Island with poison snakes though... but they tend to keep away from populated areas.